M O M E N T O - Capturing moments and memories

Remember when…? Plenty of memories are captured in photographs, and still others are conjured up and recalled when we handle the camera that took those pictures. MOMENTO is a collection of personal memories evoked by the cameras which recorded the important moments of our lives. Each camera is photographed using the collodion wet-plate process to make it appear to be an historic object. The cameras are paired with the short story or memory from the owner. MOMENTO is full of human experience and the technological dreams connected to the cameras.

MOMENTO includes 88 cameras from 24 owners. Noted photography critic A.D. Coleman has agreed to write an essay for the book, with fees and rights to be determined. Many of the cameras can be viewed online at: www.billwest.com/momento.

There are billions of photographs of the past and the memories of events in our lives which are indelibly connected to the cameras which captured the pictures. With each camera comes memories and reminiscences as vivid and vital as the pictures they captured. Everyone has memories which are conjured up when picking up that old camera which was integral part of the experience. The photographs in MOMENTO illustrate how quickly the technology of past imaging making has been made antique and obsolete.

Since photography was invented in the mid 19th century people have captured and recorded their experiences, ideas and environment. The images capture fractions of seconds of our experience, and the cameras themselves reflect the technology and aspirations of the era. Just as important are the memories connected to the cameras of our past.

Photographs of births, deaths, weddings, picnics, holidays, wars, joy, and agony and the quotidian events of our lives have created a rich document of the human condition of the past century and a half. In addition to the pictures, the dreams and ambitions and peoples’ love of technology are reflected in the cameras that people have used to record their lives. And the cameras themselves trigger memories of significant moments in our lives.

We have the billions of photographs of the past and the memories of events in our lives which are indelibly connected to the camera which captured the pictures. With each camera are memories and reminiscences as vivid and vital as the pictures they captured. Everyone has memories which are conjured up when picking up that old camera which was integral part of the experience.

Initially considered almost magical, the technology of photography is a reflection of human imagination and ingenuity. From the early daguerreotype cameras, through the wet plate behemoths, and on to the rapid development of advanced films and miniature cameras, the cameras themselves provide insight into the technology, ambitions, and trends of the era. The old cameras are discarded for the latest and greatest modes of capture. But they remain talismans or their time.

As the technology advanced, the enthusiasm for recording our lives has grown and expanded. Evolution or revolution to digital picture taking has accelerated the recording of our lives, dreams and ideas. While the archive of culture accumulates, the old technology is discarded even though the cameras are important artifacts revealing social trends, dreams of the future, and how we lived our lives. In many ways, the cameras reflected how we imagined the future as we used them to capture the present.

The names of the cameras and their lenses provide glimpses into the eras when they were created. Names like “Instamatic” “Brownie Bull’s Eye” “Action Sampler”, “Spotmatic” and “Realist” were more than marketing phrases – they were and remain talismans of the technological ambitions and dreams of mankind.

MOMENTO is a collection of human experience and the futuristic dreams connected to the cameras. The cameras are shown using 19th century wet plate glass negatives and ‘tintypes” which reflect how quickly the technology of past imaging making has been made antique and obsolete.